Tampa Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck drivers play a vital role in delivering goods across Florida and the United States, but a significant shortage of qualified drivers has emerged, as reported by Reuters. This shortage may lead trucking companies to hire less experienced drivers or pressure existing ones to work longer hours, increasing the risk of accidents.

Truck accidents can happen at any time, often due to driver negligence or carelessness in following road rules. Victims of these accidents face numerous challenges, including dealing with complex insurance claims, navigating medical bills, and understanding their legal rights. However, working with an experienced Tampa truck accident lawyer can provide several benefits, such as expert guidance through the legal process, effective negotiation for fair compensation, and representation in court if necessary.

At Steinger, Greene & Feiner, we understand the unique challenges truck accident victims face in Tampa. Our dedicated truck accident attorneys are here to help you pursue the compensation you deserve. Call us today for a free case evaluation at (813) 553-5352.

Why Truck Accidents Are Often Worse Than Other Accidents

Trucks may weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, according to federal regulations. Since the typical passenger vehicle weighs less than 5,000 pounds. This weight disparity leads to severe consequences in truck accidents. Although commercial truck accidents make up a smaller percentage of overall traffic accidents inTampa, they accounted for 9% of all fatal crashes and 5% of injury and property-damage crashes nationwide in 2022, despite representing only 4% of registered vehicles.

In Florida, over 32,000 commercial vehicle accidents occurred in 2023, with truck-related fatalities increasing by 13% from 2022 to 2024. The extreme weight difference—fully loaded trucks weighing up to 20 times more than average cars—plays a crucial role in the severity of collisions, often resulting in serious injuries like spinal cord damage and traumatic brain injuries.

Due to the extensive injuries involved, truck accident claims typically seek higher compensation. Choosing an experienced truck accident attorney like Steinger, Greene & Feiner, who specializes in motor vehicle accidents, including big rig trucks, 18 wheelers, tractor trailers and others, can improve the chances of receiving fair and complete compensation.

Common Causes of Tampa Truck Accidents

Tampa’s bustling roads bear witness to numerous truck accidents, often stemming from a range of critical factors that demand attention. The most common causes of truck accidents in Tampa include:

1. Distracted Driving: A truck driver’s momentary lapse, whether due to texting or adjusting in-cab technology, can lead to catastrophic consequences. In 2022, Florida recorded over 5,500 truck accidents, with a significant portion attributed to driver inattention.
2. Inadequate Training: While federal regulations mandate specific training standards, many trucking companies hire inexperienced drivers to address workforce shortages. This practice heightens the risk of accidents and complicates liability claims, especially when drivers are unfamiliar with Florida’s unique traffic laws.
3. Mechanical Failures: A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that nearly 30% of commercial truck crashes involve issues like brake failure or tire blowouts. Regular maintenance checks are essential, as Florida law requires trucking companies to adhere to strict inspection protocols to ensure vehicle safety.
4. Fatigue: Despite regulations limiting driving hours, many truckers face pressure to meet tight deadlines, leading them to exceed safe operating hours. This practice endangers their lives and threatens everyone sharing the road.
5. Speeding and Reckless Driving: High-pressure delivery schedules often compel truck drivers to speed, putting all road users at risk. Reckless maneuvers, such as sudden lane changes without signaling, further exacerbate the danger, leading to preventable collisions.
6. Oversize Truck Loads: Trucks carrying oversized or improperly secured loads can lose stability and maneuverability. Florida regulations require proper permits for oversized loads, yet non-compliance remains a significant issue that contributes to accidents, especially on Tampa’s busy highways.
7. Impaired Driving: Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol significantly impairs a driver’s ability to operate a large vehicle safely. Florida has stringent laws against impaired driving, but violations persist, leading to tragic accidents that could have been avoided.

To mitigate these risks, truck companies must prioritize rigorous training and enforce compliance with federal and state regulations.

Common Types of Truck Accidents in Tampa

As we navigate Tampa’s roads, we’re often faced with the reality of various truck accidents, each carrying distinct implications. Here are some common types we might encounter:

1. Rear-End Collisions: These accidents, frequently caused by distracted or fatigued truck drivers, occur when a truck strikes our vehicle from behind. The impact can lead to severe injuries for us and our passengers.
2. Jackknife Accidents: Picture a truck’s trailer swinging out unexpectedly due to sudden braking. This scenario creates a dangerous blockage on the road that can affect all of us driving nearby.
3. Wide Turn Accidents: Trucks need more space to navigate turns, which can lead to collisions with our vehicles or pedestrians, especially if drivers misjudge the truck’s turning radius.
4. T-Bone (Side-Impact) Collisions: When a truck strikes the side of our vehicle at intersections, the consequences can be catastrophic, often leaving us with serious injuries.
5. Head-On Collisions: Though less common, these collisions can occur when drivers inadvertently cross into oncoming traffic, resulting in devastating outcomes.
6. Cargo Spills: If cargo isn’t secured properly, spills can create hazards on the road, leading to accidents that affect everyone in the vicinity.
7. Blind Spot (No-Zone) Accidents: We should be aware that trucks have significant blind spots. If we attempt to change lanes without realizing a truck is nearby, it can lead to dangerous situations.
8. Rollovers: High winds, sharp turns, or excessive speed can cause trucks to roll over, resulting in serious injuries or fatalities for those involved.
9. Underride Accidents: These occur when our vehicle slides under a truck during a collision, often leading to severe injuries. Despite regulations mandating underride guards, violations still happen, putting us at risk.

Each type of accident brings potential liability for the truck drivers or their companies. If you find yourself victim of these accidents, you can pursue compensation for the injuries received in the accident.

Common Injuries in Tampa Truck Accidents

After a truck accident, many of us face serious injuries that can change our lives. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 100,000 people suffer injuries in large truck crashes annually in the U.S., with Florida seeing its fair share. Here are the most common injuries we might experience:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): These can result from violent impacts, leading to long-term cognitive issues that affect our ability to work and enjoy life.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: Often resulting in paralysis or chronic pain, these injuries can require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation.
• Broken Bones and Fractures: The force of a collision frequently causes these injuries, often needing surgery and a lengthy recovery period.
• Soft Tissue Injuries: Whiplash and contusions can lead to persistent pain and limited mobility, impacting our daily activities.

Understanding these common injuries is crucial, as they play a significant role in determining compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. When pursuing justice, having legal representation can make all the difference in navigating recovery and ensuring we receive the support we need.

Recovering Damages After a Truck Accident

The compensation, or damages, you may be entitled to after a truck accident are generally divided into two categories: economic and non-economic.

• Economic damages compensate you for the real money you lost because of the wreck. This can include
  • medical bills: necessary medical treatment expenditures, including ongoing treatment
  • lost wages, including sick days, vacation days or an ongoing loss of income due to permanent injuries limiting their ability to work
  • property damage
  • out-of-pocket expenses, and more.
• Noneconomic damages, on the other hand, are more ambiguous. These damages compensate you for the intangible losses you suffered, such as
  • pain and suffering resulting from injuries caused by the truck crash resulting from injuries caused by the truck crash
    mental anguish, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder
  • permanent disability, and more.

Truck companies typically have larger insurance policies than individual drivers as well as more available funds to cover losses. Because of agency rules that make employers responsible for their employees, trucking companies are frequently liable when their drivers cause a collision. An attorney who represents truck accident clients can help victims to determine who may be sued after a crash.

If the truck accident is a deadly one, surviving family members of the victims may also pursue a claim for wrongful death losses.

Liability in Truck Accidents

Determining liability in truck accidents is often more complex than in standard vehicle collisions. Let’s look into possible liable parties in truck accidents.

Trucking Companies

Truck companies typically carry larger insurance policies than individual drivers, providing them with greater financial resources to cover losses. According to Florida law, employers are generally held accountable for their employees’ actions under the doctrine of vicarious liability. This means that if a truck driver causes a collision while performing job-related duties, the trucking company can be held responsible for the damages. They must ensure that their drivers are properly trained and that vehicles are well-maintained.

Truck Drivers

Individual truck drivers can also be held liable for negligent actions, such as distracted driving or speeding, which may lead to personal liability alongside their employer’s.

Maintenance Providers

Maintenance providers may share liability if negligence in servicing the truck leads to mechanical failures that contribute to an accident.

Manufacturers

Manufacturers of defective truck parts can be held accountable if a malfunction results in a crash, allowing victims to pursue product liability claims.

If a truck accident results in a fatality, surviving family members can pursue wrongful death claims for loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and emotional suffering.

In many cases, multiple parties may share liability, making it essential to identify all potential defendants. A Tampa truck accident attorney specializing in truck accident cases can help ensure victims pursue the compensation they deserve.

State and Federal Laws on Trucking

State and federal laws govern the trucking industry, shaping the safety and accountability of truck operations on our roads. At the federal level, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) establishes regulations requiring drivers to adhere to hours of service limits, ensuring they do not drive while fatigued. These laws also mandate thorough vehicle inspections and maintenance schedules, aiming to reduce mechanical failures that can lead to accidents.

In Florida, additional state regulations complement federal laws, addressing unique local concerns such as commercial vehicle registration and specific traffic rules. Florida law places a strong emphasis on liability insurance for trucking companies, mandating higher coverage limits compared to regular passenger vehicles. This requirement ensures that sufficient funds are available to compensate victims in the event of an accident.

Another crucial aspect of Florida law is the statute of limitations for personal injury claims, which was reduced from four years to two years for accidents occurring after March 24, 2023. This change underscores the urgency for victims to act swiftly in pursuing their claims, as failing to file within this timeframe could result in losing the right to compensation.

When accident injuries occur due to violations of these laws, the implications for personal injury claims can be significant. Victims may leverage evidence of non-compliance to strengthen their cases, potentially increasing the compensation awarded for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Understanding both the state and federal regulations, as well as the critical timelines for filing claims, allows us to navigate the complexities of trucking regulations more effectively and advocate for safer driving practices on our roads.

What to Do After a Truck Accident in Tampa

After a truck accident, it’s important to call for medical attention immediately. If you can reach your cell phone and you aren’t seriously injured in a truck accident, call 9-1-1 and be sure to request an ambulance. Check yourself and anyone else in the car for serious injuries. If anyone is injured, don’t move them! Otherwise, try to get yourself to a safe place, such as the shoulder of the road.

If possible, take as many photos as you can of the car, your injuries, road conditions, nearby traffic signs and signals, and anything else you may think is important. When the ambulance arrives, be sure to get checked out, and follow the orders of the paramedics — even if it means going to the hospital.

You will likely need to give a police report. Give only basic, factual information; don’t speculate about what happened. You will also need to call your insurance company and report the accident, even if you weren’t at fault. All you need to tell them is your policy information, when and where the accident happened, and the insurance information for the truck driver. Call Steinger, Greene & Feiner at (813) 553-5352 or contact us online to schedule your free, confidential, no obligation consultation with a Tampa trucking accident attorney today or visit us at our law firm office: 5440 Mariner St, Unit 211, Tampa, FL 33609.

Finally, call a Tampa truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. Your lawyer can gather evidence and build a strong case to show that you deserve compensation.

How Accident Lawyer Can Help You in Truck Accident in Tampa

Your Tampa truck crash lawyer will work with a variety of experts like accident reconstructionists and psychologists to help build your personal injury case and show you deserve compensation.

Steinger, Greene & Feiner has successfully used these methods to obtain favorable outcomes for our clients, including the following past case results:

• $8.1 MILLION Truck Accident Verdict for a client rear-ended by a wrecker truck, causing injuries that made him unable to work in his prior occupation for the rest of his life.
• $4.7 MILLION Truck Accident Verdict for a client injured in a collision caused by the defendant’s lack of reasonable care regarding compliance with federal safety regulations for trailers and Florida traffic laws.
• $1.4 MILLION Truck Accident Verdict for a father injured by an 18-wheeler that was driving too fast to stop in time.

How Much Can Steinger, Greene & Feiner Get You?

Truck accident cases may be much more complex than typical car accident claims due to the severity of the collision; the multiple potential defendants and the special federal regulations applicable to truckers. When a trucker breaks the rules of the road, it can be easier to prove negligence. You need a lawyer who knows truck accident cases inside and out to help you put together your case or to negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf.

Steinger, Greene & Feiner attorneys have decades of collective experience representing victims of truck accidents. Since 1997, our legal team has been there for collision victims. Call today to schedule a FREE consultation with an experienced lawyer in Tampa and learn more about how we can help with your case: (813) 553-5352. Our Tampa personal injury lawyers fight relentlessly for your settlement and, when necessary, aren’t afraid to take a case in front of a judge and jury.

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